It Is A Wonderful Life! 4/40 REPORT

I don't care what anyone says, It's a Wonderful Life makes me happy no matter how many times I've seen it. I'm sure it's flawed but the indelible impression it has left on my soul makes my heart swell with joy. Yeah. It's terribly corny, I know. I can't help it. I pretty much have the entire movie memorized but I can tell you that I find something new about it every time I watch (even now, I have it on so low nobody can hear it--especially me!), which is a little nuts. 

Welcome home, Mr. Bailey...

From the very beginning when the three constellations gather to "discuss" what to do, to the definitive AH-OO-GA! horn that honks at the poor man that gazes too long at Violet Bick's arse, to the automatic pool/floor dance, to the breaking of windows... All the way to Uncle Billy's pet raven (I hate ravens!), squirrel and myriad other oddities that make Uncle Billy (including one of my favorite lines, "I'm all right! I'm all right!" copied by Kronk in the Emperor's New Groove), train whistles, anchor chains ...

It is terribly sentimental and you can take a depressing, doom & gloom point of view, like some reviewers have, or you can look at it as one man's awakening to his true character and influence. How do we know how much we may influence or affect another? Do we have to see what life would be like, not just without us, but as if we never existed? I hope I don't (which is the point btw) and by watching this movie over and over again we can learn from George's mistake (undervaluing himself) and sacrifice (there are always so many more things bigger than himself) and be better ourselves! Glory!

We cannot all have a Clarence Odbody around, can we? "You're about the kind of Guardian Angel I would get."

I know it's in black and white (they do have colorized versions if you're into that kind of bastardization of your classic movies) that adds to its charm if you ask me! This was a time when people set aside their personal selfishness for the greater good. Those kinds of values are lost on this generation.

Just a few last little tidbits of fun then I'll move on...

• The swimming pool/gymnasium floor is real. It's located at the Beverly Hills High School.
• Seneca Falls, NY thinks they are the model Frank Capra took to create Bedford Falls (which was all built on a lot in Encino). Subsequently they have It's A Wonderful Life Festival every December with a museum and a hotel called, The Hotel Clarence.
• While I cannot imagine Mary being played by anyone but the impeccable Donna Reed (who was a mere 18!), actresses considered & offered before her include; Ginger Rogers, Jean Arthur & Olivia de Havilland.

• And finally, Ward Bond, who play Bert the Cop (who may or may not be the inspiration behind "Bert" of "Bert and Ernie") was quite the character... literally! BFF to John Wayne he was the hard-working-est actor in Hollywood for 30 years and died of a massive heart attack at the age of 57.

...and equally impressive?

Bond was in the most films (seven) of the American Film Institute's list of the 100 Greatest American Movies: It Happened One Night (1934),Bringing Up Baby (1938), Gone with the Wind (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940) , The Maltese Falcon (1941), It's a Wonderful Life (1946) andThe Searchers (1956). (IMDB Ward Bond Biography)

Fascinating stuff!

Report:

1. Christmas Movie: CHECK!

2. House & Home: Folded most of the stuff that was already clean. Didn't do too much "new" stuff which was okay, better.

3. Write: eh. I'm not behind... yet.

4. Serve: Not so much unless you count making dinner for my family...

5. Pray & Read Scriptures: eh. 

Tomorrow is Monday! Although it's going to be get-it-all-done-so-we-can-leave-at-the-crack-of-dawn-Tuesday day.